When I was growing up a half-century ago in Hope, Arkansas, civility and integrity were imparted to us as cardinal virtues. This was true in small towns and big cities across America. The message was simple: Civility was an essential building block of a strong community. Integrity was an essential building block of a good person.
That's not to say the message was always accepted; these were rebellious times. And growing up in the South, we were no strangers to conflict. But civility and integrity helped to guide us, over time, toward the right side of history. Led by the example of the civil rights movement, they helped produce real progress in the struggle against racism, injustice and inequality.
Civility and integrity often go together, and they go to the core of who we are as Americans. They address two basic elements of our national character: a commitment to the common good--to the community--and a celebration of individual talent and achievement.
That's why I'm convinced that the assault on civility in America today is a national crisis. Surveys show that the ugly tone in politics is suppressing and discouraging participation in democracy. It's causing talented and patriotic Americans to turn away from careers in public service. And it's helping drive public trust in our institutions to an all-time low.
To an unfortunate degree, Washington, D.C., is the ground zero of our uncivil wars. The erosion of civility is both the symptom and the cause of dysfunctional government. It is preventing us from tackling big, urgent challenges: policy issues from jobs and income inequality, to immigration, to caring for the environment and the planet.
I'm not alone in this sobering view. You can see it every day on editorial pages and hear it from discouraged voters, and from leaders in business and politics from House Speaker Paul Ryan and former Defense Secretary Bob Gates to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and many others.
The future health of the country depends on reclaiming a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and compromise. This is easier said than done. But we need to act, and we need to begin now.
I think that one way to start is by puncturing three dangerous myths about civility and integrity that have become pervasive in Washington and elsewhere. These myths have found fertile ground in the current political climate of anger, anxiety and cynicism, and they now threaten to sink deep roots.
The first is that civility is a sign of weakness. The second is that integrity is synonymous with being inflexible. The third myth is that in the real world there are only winners and losers, and that civility and integrity will hold us back from success.
My experience on Main Street, Wall Street and in the White House has taught me that these myths are a misreading of the way the world is and the way people are.
I've seen firsthand how civility can be a sign of strength, of confidence, purpose and persuasion.
While I served in Arkansas' legislature, the new governor of Arkansas, a small-town lawyer named Dale Bumpers, had a unique ability to bridge differences. He won his campaign with civility. He refused to run negative ads or disparage opponents in spite of being urged to do so by influential supporters.
Bumpers went against the grain and public opinion during his term, leading the racial integration of schools in his hometown of Charleston and raising taxes to pay for and improve education. Later as a U.S. senator, he opposed prayer in public schools and supported the Panama Canal Treaties.
These were tough positions to take for an elected official in a largely conservative state. But he created a model for bipartisan government by building trust. He believed in the politics of respect, and it allowed him to get things done.
A second lesson that great leaders show us is that integrity is not defined by being inflexible. In fact, integrity makes principled compromise possible.
On Sept. 13, 1993, President Clinton hosted the signing of the Oslo Peace Accords between Israel and the Palestinians on the White House lawn. When the ceremony approached, Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's prime minister, balked at shaking the hand of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. For Rabin, a former general and a man of towering integrity, Arafat was a terrorist. No matter how far they had traveled in the peace process, this seemed one step too far.
Finally, President Clinton pulled Prime Minister Rabin aside and said, "You're going to have to shake his hand." Rabin was silent for a moment. Then he said, "OK. But no kissing."
That produced one of the most historic handshakes in the history of the Middle East. Rabin's integrity gave force to the agreement.
Lastly, civility and integrity are not obstacles to success in the real world of business and politics. On the contrary, they are ingredients of lasting long-term investments.
My formative business experience was in the transportation and energy sectors. These are both highly competitive businesses filled with colorful characters and rugged individuals. And yet I have consistently found that civility and integrity are key to negotiating deals that build businesses and successful careers.
It comes down to trust. Do your colleagues and partners trust you? Do your customers trust you? Do your competitors see you as an honest broker?
Good reputations can't be manufactured overnight. They come from the accumulation of countless individual actions over time. You have to work at it.
Today in D.C., we face daunting challenges to restore the credibility and effectiveness of our institutions. We have work to do to keep alive American optimism about the promise of freedom, fairness and opportunity.
Civility and integrity help us get big things done--the most difficult things. It's time we put them to use in the presidential campaign, in the halls of Congress, and in American discourse.
Mack McLarty is the chairman of McLarty Companies and McLarty Associates. He served as White House chief of staff during President Bill Clinton's administration.
Editorial on 05/08/2016